Upper Valley CC programs offer value to students, employers

Bethany J. Royer

February 14, 2014

By Bethany J. Royer

Staff Writer

broyer@civitasmedia.com

Editor’s Note: This is part ten of a continuing series on donations and the Upper Valley Career Center. Part one ran Saturday, Nov. 30, part two Dec. 7, part three Dec. 21, part four Dec. 28, part five Jan. 11, part six Jan. 18., part seven on Jan. 25., part eight on Feb. 1. and part nine on Feb. 8.

PIQUA — In part nine of this ongoing series on donations and the Upper Valley Career Center, Terry Krogman, instructional supervisor, had last touched base on electives offered to students such as OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and forklift certification.

“When they walk into that employer, and they have their 10-hour OSHA card, the employer doesn’t have to spend $200 to get that person certified,” explained Krogman. “They are ready to go. Employers really like that.”

Those skills and preparation is what makes the programs at Upper Valley CC valuable, says Krogman as he introduced the Manufacturing and Machining Technologies program where donations once again play a significant part in both the curriculum and school coffers. Several hundred dollars worth of metal had just been donated to the program at the time of the interview last fall.

“Again, it really saves us a lot of money,” said Krogman as he proceeded to point out the extensive machinery students learn to operate so as to create an assortment of metal parts, instruments, and tools. Whether it is through the use of a lathe operation or a drill press, or via CNC operation and programming.

The large classroom not only boasted heavy manufacturing machinery such as the CNC, each subsequently named by a student, but banners draped from the ceiling from businesses that offer their support, time, effort and donations to the program. Once more highlighting the imperative nature of the Upper Valley Career Center having ties with the business community.

Brent Snell, Manufacturing and Machining Technologies instructor, is in his first school year with Upper Valley Career Center. He provided a look into some of the operations being taught to students in the two-year program, with safety key in mind, as graduates may move on to the manufacturing environment with positions that include the aforementioned CNC operations or press operator, even becoming their own shop owner.

“Basically, teaching the manufacturing process,” said Snell as he explained how his students were aiding those in the science program with their miniature trebuchet proto-type for a contest. The same catapult that was being tested in the school’s entryway in part five of this series.

Like the other programs, preparations were underway for an impending (at the time) open house. Students and their families would be given an unique opportunity to visit classrooms such as Manufacturing and Machining Technologies with hands-on demonstrations and enrollment for the 2014-15 school year. And for good reason, as according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, machinists can look to a median hourly wage of $18.99 with a median hourly wage for tool and die makers $22.60 (May 2012) with employment looking to grow 7 percent from 2012 to 2022.

Stay tuned …

Bethany J. Royer may be reached at 773-2721 or on Twitter @TheDailyCall